Two men arrested in New Jersey on terrorism charges

Suspects in court

“Sophistication is not a measure of danger,” noted U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman at a press conference following the court appearance of two New Jersey men accused of attempting to join a terrorist organization overseas.

The arrest on June 5 of Carlos Eduardo Almonte, 24, and Mohamed Mahmood Alessa, 20, at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York is just the most recent in a series of terrorist detainments in the U.S. over the past six months.

Fishman told reporters at the news conference that, “The charges were filed before their bags were packed, and the arrest teams were waiting at the airport before they arrived. There was never any chance that those defendants would get on those planes.”

Unlike Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, who was actually on a plane bound for Dubai when he was arrested, the two men from New Jersey were detained before boarding their flights.

On May 27, GSN: Government Security News discussed with Dr. Louis Klarevas, of New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, why letting terrorists get as far as the airport was actually in the best interest of authorities. Klarevas told GSN, “There is a method to the madness. There is a strategy, in letting him go through the screening process,” including ensuring that the suspect is unarmed after his bags are searched during the pre-flight screening process.

According to the complaint unsealed June 7 in federal court in Newark, NJ, the two men -- both whom have been under surveillance by authorities since October 2006, when a tip came into the FBI via the agency’s Web site -- had planned to board separate flights, destined for Egypt, on their way Somalia to join the Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist group Al Shabaab -- Arabic for “the youth.” The men are charged with conspiring to kill, maim and kidnap persons outside the United States.

In a statement released by his office following the arrests, Fishman noted, “This case demonstrates the seriousness with which our office and our law enforcement partners regard those who seek to join the ranks of violent extremists. When Alessa and Almonte schemed to engage in violent jihad, we were listening. When they attempted to leave the country, we were waiting. We will continue to be vigilant and to protect against terrorism no matter where its adherents intend to do harm.”

According to the complaint, the men had saved thousands of dollars for the trip and had been physically conditioning themselves, engaging in paintball and other types of tactical training, as well as purchasing military gear for use overseas.

“Their intentions were described pretty clearly,” Fishman continued. “They were watching certain videos and interested in what certain people were saying and advocating.”

An undercover officer (UC) with the NYPD Intelligence Division recorded numerous incriminating meetings and conversations with the men who had planned on becoming terrorist operatives overseas.

In November 2009, Alessa told Almonte in the presence of the UC, “They only fear you when you have a gun and when you -- when you start killing them, and when you, when you take their head, and you go like this, and you behead it on camera… We’ll start doing killing here, if I can’t do it over there.”

New York lawmakers visited Washington, DC on May 5 to discuss gun control after authorities revealed that Shahzad was in possession of a firearm when he placed his car bomb in Times Square. The issue of terrorism and guns had been thrust to the forefront in the wake of the massacre at Fort Hood in November 2009 and the shooting at the Arkansas recruitment center in June 2009.

Alessa had also told the UC, “I leave this time, God Willing, I never come back. I’ll never see this crap hole. Only way I would come back here is if I was in the land of jihad and the leader ordered me to come back here and do something here. Ah, I love that.”

Later in April of this year, Almonte stated that there would soon be American troops in Somalia, which was good because it would not be as gratifying to kill only Africans.

The defendants also watched and played for the UC numerous video and audio recordings that promoted violent jihad, including lectures by American born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, now reportedly hiding out in Yemen, and videos featuring attacks by Al Shabaab and other terrorist groups.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Ward noted in a statement released to the public, “This case exemplifies the close coordination of resources between the New Jersey JTTF and NYPD Intel. During the course of this investigation, the subjects were confirmed to be committed individuals with operational intent. Their planned travel overseas to link with a Foreign Terrorist Organization precipitated their arrests.

“Even when individuals plan to support terrorist activity abroad, we remain concerned that once they reach their foreign destinations they may be redirected against targets back home, as we’ve seen in the past,” said New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. “We are also concerned that should they remain undetected and fail in their foreign aspirations that they might strike domestically, as was discussed as a possibility in this case. The New York City Police Department has long been concerned about the threat posed by individuals radicalized in the United States.”

“The radicalization of our youth, like gang recruitment, is real and continues to pose concerns,” said New Jersey’s Director of Homeland Security Charles McKenna. “We must be vigilant in stopping our young men and women from being co-opted and trained to do us harm.”

The two men will be held in custody until their bail hearing on June 10. Their preliminary criminal hearing will be held on June 21. The terror suspects are facing a maximum sentence of life in prison and penalties of up to $250,000.